At the Shen Mansion.
"Miss Cousin, the Lady Liu from the Prime Minister's Mansion sent a gift, saying it's an apology for what happened yesterday." Chun Tao handed over an exquisite box.
Chun Tao had witnessed everything clearly yesterday.
Miss Cousin had kindly attended Lady Liu's birthday banquet but ended up in a mess.
That Prime Minister Gu even wished to throw Miss Cousin into prison immediately, and he even hoped that the Shen family would be implicated.
Just a small token of kindness today, and they thought they could gain Miss Cousin's forgiveness.
Ruan Jiu took the box and opened it.
Inside was a delicate hairpin.
"This hairpin may look valuable, but Miss Cousin doesn't lack such things," Chun Tao muttered.
Ruan Jiu smiled and put the hairpin aside.
Then, she pulled out the interlayer in the box and took out a letter.
This made Chun Tao gape in surprise. She asked, "What's this?"
"It's a thank-you letter from Liu Ruyan," Ruan Jiu replied.
"Wasn't it supposed to be an apology? How did it become a thank-you?" Chun Tao was puzzled.
Ruan Jiu didn't answer Chun Tao's question for the moment.
She just opened the letter and read its contents carefully.
It was roughly as she had expected.
Then, she held the letter over the candle flame and watched it turn into ashes bit by bit.
"Just burn it like this?" Chun Tao asked.
"It's not something good. Why keep it?" Ruan Jiu smiled.
Seeing Chun Tao looking utterly confused, Ruan Jiu took her hand and asked her to sit down beside her.
"Chun Tao, do you want to know why Liu Ruyan thanked me?"
Chun Tao nodded repeatedly.
Ruan Jiu put away her smile and said seriously, "Because it was me who caused Wen Xi to have a miscarriage."
This seemed to surprise Chun Tao.
Ruan Jiu took a deep breath and continued, "After I helped Liu Ruyan regain her favor, Wen Xi would surely try every means to win it back.
So, I asked Liu Ruyan to sew a sachet for Gu Kexing by herself, and the sachet contained musk, which can cause a miscarriage.
Wen Xi was always clinging to Gu Kexing. As time passed, the fetus in her womb became unstable.
Coupled with the kale in the peach blossom pastries, it was even easier for her to have a miscarriage."
Chun Tao still didn't understand. "But how did Miss Cousin know there would be kale in the peach blossom pastries?"
Ruan Jiu replied, "I heard that the empress in the palace likes peach blossom pastries mixed with kale juice. Then I asked Liu Ruyan to tell Gu Kexing that she liked peach blossom pastries.
Given Gu Kexing's current affection for Liu Ruyan, he would naturally invite the imperial chef from the palace to make peach blossom pastries for her at her birthday banquet."
"What if Gu Kexing didn't invite the imperial chef?" Chun Tao asked.
"If he didn't, we would have to bribe the chef who made the pastries. But this would be a bit riskier."
Chun Tao suddenly understood and couldn't help but praise, "Miss Cousin is so smart!"
Ruan Jiu frowned.
Smart?
It should be cruel, right?
"Chun Tao," Ruan Jiu's eyes darkened. "Am I a bad person? I actually harmed an unborn child just for revenge."
"Miss Cousin is not bad at all!" Chun Tao said with a smile. "You're just like a fairy descending from the sky, saving the child in Wen Xi's womb. If that child were really born, it would be really pitiful to have such parents."
Although it was true.
Ruan Jiu still felt extremely ashamed in her heart.
However, even if she hadn't taken action.
It was unlikely that the child in Wen Xi's womb would be born smoothly.
She had investigated carefully. Since the prime minister's wife's legitimate son died unexpectedly, Gu Kexing hadn't had any more offspring.
Even if the concubines in Gu Kexing's mansion were pregnant, they would have a miscarriage for no reason after at most three months.
The water in the Prime Minister's Mansion had long been muddied.
She just wanted to take revenge with her own hands before returning to Qinzhou.
"Chun Tao, go to the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple tomorrow and offer a scented lamp for the unborn child."
After saying that, she closed her eyes and hid all her guilt in her heart.
But how could a scented lamp atone for the sins she had committed with her own hands?
Chun Tao nodded seriously.
She knew that Miss Cousin was always kind-hearted. This act was just to make Wen Xi get the punishment she deserved.
Tomorrow, she would go in front of the Buddha and explain everything to the Buddha.
-
At the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Gu Kexing had lost another child, and he felt inexplicably irritable.
In the study, the official documents piled up on the table. He couldn't read a single word.
Just then, the Second Concubine Zhou Ru walked in with a bowl of chicken soup.
"My lord, this is the chicken soup I specially made for you. Please have a taste while it's hot."
Gu Kexing glanced at the chicken soup in Zhou Ru's hand and said coldly, "Put it down first."
He really had no appetite now.
Then he closed his eyes and gently massaged the bridge of his nose with his fingertips.
After hearing this, Zhou Ru put down the chicken soup and then walked behind Gu Kexing. She reached out her hand to massage his temples.
The warm fingertips and the right amount of strength made Gu Kexing frown less.
"My lord, I know you're sad about losing a child, but you should also take care of your own body. Don't worry too much."
Zhou Ru's words made Gu Kexing feel depressed again.
"Go and find a master to come to the mansion tomorrow to see if there's something wrong with the feng shui of the mansion." Otherwise, why couldn't he keep his children?
Hearing this, Zhou Ru's hand paused slightly and then continued massaging.
She said softly, "My lord, don't think too much. It's just that Sister Wen didn't have the good fortune. But this incident really wronged Sister Liu. Her birthday banquet ended up being so unpleasant."
"Yes. Tomorrow, pick some nice things from the storeroom and send them to Yan'er," Gu Kexing said.
After thinking for a while, he continued, "Pick some more things and send them to the Shen family. I originally planned to repair the relationship with the Shen family through Yan'er's birthday banquet. I didn't expect to almost misunderstand that girl."
"My lord, if you really want to repair the relationship with the Shen family, I have a good idea," Zhou Ru finally found the opportunity to say the purpose of her visit today.
Gu Kexing opened his eyes, held Zhou Ru's hand, and turned to ask softly, "I wonder what good idea you have, Ru'er?"
Zhou Ru smiled and said softly, "Shen Yu, the legitimate son of the Shen family, is about the same age as my elder brother's legitimate daughter. If they can get engaged, the Shen family will naturally become your ally."
Gu Kexing's eyes flashed.
This was a good idea.
However, it was Zhou Chang who reported Shen Wenshan to the emperor, which led to his imprisonment.
It might not be easy for the Zhou family to get engaged to the Shen family.
Gu Kexing frowned again and shook his head. "Shen Wenshan may not agree."
"Then make him agree," Zhou Ru said.
"Oh? How can we make him agree?"
Zhou Ru bent down and whispered in Gu Kexing's ear.
After hearing Zhou Ru's plan, Gu Kexing's frown disappeared, and he was in a great mood.
Gu Kexing gently patted Zhou Ru's hand. "Ru'er, you're really smart."
Zhou Ru smiled sweetly. "My lord, you're overpraising me."
A sly look flashed in Gu Kexing's eyes.
It seemed that the engagement between the Shen family and the Zhou family was a done deal.